In Episode 357 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Watertown, Connecticut, searching for one of the Leatherman’s caves. Back in the latter half of the 1800, a wandering vagabond covered in patchwork leather made an endless 365-mile circuit between the Hudson and Connecticut rivers.
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CREDITS:
Produced and hosted by: Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger
Edited by: Ray Auger
Theme Music by: John Judd
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A photo of the Leatherman circa 1885.
A painting of The Leatherman that hangs in the Derby Public Library.
Leatherman Cave in Black Rock State Park in Watertown, Connecticut.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
*A note on the text: Please forgive punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Like us, the transcripts ain’t perfect.
[HIKING IN THE WOODS]
RAY: So we parked our car at Black Rock State Park.
JEFF: We did.
RAY: And now we’re hiking this 2.3-mile trail into the woods that straddles Thomaston and Watertown, Connecticut.
JEFF: That’s the plan. I’ve got a small backpack that has some water and some snacks, and of course my emergency kit should anything bad happen, but considering how popular this place is for walks and hikes, there’s not much danger here. And the trail isn’t that challenging, either.
RAY: Still, it’s a nice summer day for this. And the views are great as we go higher up the trail.
JEFF: They are. But can you imagine if we were completely covered in heavy clothes and carrying a bag that weighed maybe another 30 pounds or more?
RAY: No. And why would we do that? Why would anyone do that?
JEFF: That is a mystery, but it doesn’t mean someone didn’t spend decades of his life doing just that. We’re on this trail in Black Rock State Park searching for a cave that was once a regular shelter for a wandering vagabond called… The Leatherman.
[INTRO]
JEFF: I’m Jeff Belanger. Welcome to Episode 357 of the New England Legends podcast. We’re on a mission to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time.
RAY: And I’m Ray Auger. Thanks for hiking along with us. Please be sure to subscribe to our podcast wherever you get your podcasts because it’s free. If you could post a review for us that would also help a lot because most of our story leads come from you. The more people who listen, the more stories that come in. 357 so far if you’re keeping score, and you can find the closest one to you in a map on our Web site or by downloading our free New England Legends app in your app store.
JEFF: We’ll go searching for the Leatherman right after this word from our sponsor.
SPONSOR
RAY: The Leatherman sounds like something out of a horror movie.
JEFF: It does. And he looks like something out of a horror movie too. I can show you an old picture of him from 1885. Here’ take a look on my phone.
RAY: Wow! That’s a real photo!
JEFF: It is.
RAY: I’m looking at a black and white photo of a man sitting down covered in a patchwork of leather squares that’s been stitched together into a coat and pants. He’s also wearing a battered leather hat. In the photo it almost looks like metal. Whatever it is, it can’t be comfortable to wear.
JEFF: I’m sure it wasn’t comfortable. It was heavy. In the winter it protected him from the elements. But in the summer, it must have been almost unbearable.
RAY: So who was he?
JEFF: That is a bit of a mystery.
[HIKING IN WOODS]
JEFF: We’ve almost reached what we’re here to see. It’s just up ahead on this path.
RAY: Okay, this is cool. There’s a rocky cliff face to our right. And several large rocks and boulders laying against it here on the ground forming a kind of shelter.
JEFF: Some have called this a Leatherman cave. It’s clearly not a cave, but it is a shelter.
RAY: As we go inside it’s nice and cool in here.
JEFF: It is.
RAY: There’s not a ton of space. I bet if we had to, we could fit maybe 10 or so people in here in sleeping bags.
JEFF: Sure. So plenty of room for one.
RAY: Definitely.
JEFF: Imagine a small campfire in here. The smoke has a place to go up above and out the sides of the stone roof. In the winter as the fire heats up the stones, it’s probably pretty cozy.
RAY: I could see that. Not quite the Four Seasons, but not bad. This is where the Leatherman lived?
JEFF: This is where he lived for a night about every 34 days.
RAY: So roughly once per month?
JEFF: Right.
RAY: Where was he the rest of the time?
JEFF: He was walking. Always moving in a 365-mile loop. Check out this map.
[SHUFFLING PAPERS]
RAY: Got it.
JEFF: He’d go across the top half of Connecticut through towns like Ridgefield, Danbury, over to Waterbury, here in Watertown, over to New Britain. Then he’d follow the Connecticut River south to Connecticut’s southern coast through Saybrook, Guilford, New Haven, Derby, Bridgeport, Greenwich, then across into New York State into White Plains, over to Ossining, then follow the Hudson River north to Peekskill, Brewster, then back into Connecticut around Ridgefield, and go all the way around again. 365 miles.
RAY: That’s incredible!
JEFF: And he kept this up for more than 30 years. So let’s head back to the year 1885, and meet the Leatherman.
[TRANSITION]
RAY: It’s the summer of 1885 here in Connecticut. Grover Cleveland is president of the United States, the Civil War is getting to be a distant memory now as America moves forward. Here in Watertown, Connecticut, it’s a hot one.
JEFF: It’s early in the morning here on the trail that leads up to one of the Leatherman’s shelters. Hey…
RAY: Yup, I see him coming out of his cave. It looks like he’s gathering some firewood.
JEFF: Yes, he’s gathering up some sticks and branches and setting them inside the shelter. This is standard for him. He loads up his shelter with firewood for when he returns.
[HIKING IN WOODS]
RAY: With the wood gathered, the Leatherman is off carrying his leather bag. It’s still early, but you can tell it’s going to be a hot one today.
JEFF: He’s coming toward us.
JEFF/RAY: Hello / Good morning
LEATHERMAN: GRUNT
RAY: He doesn’t have much to say, does he?
JEFF: Nope. And that’s the way it goes with the Leatherman. He gestures, he grunts, but he’s not much for talking. Let’s follow him.
[WALKING IN WOODS]
RAY: We’re heading down the trail toward the east.
[WALKING]
RAY: As the sun gets higher, the temperature is rising. I’m starting to sweat. I can’t imagine how this guy feels under all of that thick leather.
JEFF: It’s got to be brutal. The Leatherman mostly sticks to his same path for 365 miles. He averages 10-12 miles per day.
RAY: Imagine the cardio shape he’s in?
JEFF: Right?!
RAY: At a normal walking pace, that’s maybe 6 or 7 hours of walking per day.
JEFF: And that includes rain, wind, snow, and anything else New England weather cares to throw his way.
RAY: I can see a house up ahead. It looks like a small farm.
JEFF: The Leatherman is heading toward the house.
RAY: Look at that!
JEFF: I see it!
RAY: A woman has just stepped outside holding a plate a food. It’s almost like she was expecting him.
JEFF: The Leatherman is nodding and grunting at the woman. She smiles back. And now he’s sitting down on a nearby tree stump to eat his meal.
RAY: When he finishes his meal, the Leatherman hands the plate and fork back to the woman who didn’t say much of anything. She just sat there on her front steps to keep him company.
JEFF: The Leatherman just nodded his head again, and he’s off.
[DOOR CLOSES]
JEFF: And the kind woman just went back inside her home carrying the empty plate.
[WALKING IN THE WOODS]
RAY: With his belly full, the Leatherman is heading east again toward Thomaston.
JEFF: Hours go by. The Leatherman doesn’t seem to have any purpose other than to walk to his next stop. It’s pretty clear he knows where he’s going. He knows the trails, the roads, he avoids the marshy swampy areas, and by the time the sun dips low on the horizon, the Leatherman is approaching another farm.
RAY: I can see what I assume is the owner of the farm raking up some hay near his barn. When the Leatherman gets close enough to be seen, the farmer nods his head toward the barn.
LEATHERMAN: GRUNT
RAY: And with that the Leatherman heads into the barn and lies down in the hay.
JEFF: So he’s not staying in caves every night. Though no words were spoken to the farmer, it’s clear they knew each other and this is routine for them. I can see the Leatherman settling in for the night.
RAY: I just had a quick chat with the farmer. He said he doesn’t know the man by any other name but Leatherman. He said if Leatherman does speak any English he doesn’t use it with him. The farmer also said he’s offered to let him sleep inside the house—especially in the winter, but the Leatherman always shakes his head. He’s more comfortable in the barn. Says he comes around just about once per month like clockwork.
JEFF: And so it goes. A night in someone’s barn, another night in a cave. Or sleeping outside if the weather is nice enough. And he has plenty of people who have a meal waiting for him when he comes around.
RAY: He’s been traveling this route for almost 30 years now. But who is he, and where is he from?
JEFF: The most common story that people tell is that he was born and raised in France. He fell in love with a young woman whose father owned a leather tanning factory. The girl’s father brought his future son-in-law into the family business, but the young man made a business gamble that didn’t go his way. After ruining the family business, and his chances with the young woman, the broken man made his way to America and started walking. They say he’s been walking ever since.
RAY: Think about it. He started this endless journey between the Connecticut and Hudson Rivers around 1857. That means the Civil War came and went while he just kept walking.
JEFF: Obviously no one thinks he’s a danger to anyone. They know who he is when he comes around, and folks take care of him, either out of charity, pity, or maybe because it’s just what you do. If you can help. You help.
RAY: A few years back in 1879, Connecticut passed a quote “tramp law” which made it illegal to be a wandering vagabond. But clearly the Leatherman has some fans because ten different Connecticut towns passed their own town ordinances exempting the Leatherman from the new law.
JEFF: All the while, the Leatherman keeps walking his 365-mile circuit.
RAY: More years and many more miles pass. It’s now 1888 and the Connecticut Humane Society has the Leatherman arrested. They don’t want to put him in jail, though. They want to give him a health checkup and get him on his feet. After determining that the man is sane, but suffering an emotional affliction, he’s given some money and allowed back on the street.
[WALKING IN THE WOODS]
RAY: So he picks up right where he left off. Walking his 365-mile circuit. It’s all he knows at this point.
[WINTER WIND AND STORM]
JEFF: It’s now March of 1889. Winter has been tough on the Leatherman. His years and miles are catching up to him. Eating is difficult because of tumors in his mouth. Weak and tired, the Leatherman crawls into a cave on the farm of George Dell in Mount Pleasant, New York. At some time during the night, he draws his last breath. His body is discovered March 24th. A French prayer book was found in his bag, but little else that could identify him. And that brings us back to today.
[TRANSITION]
JEFF: Some believed his name was Jules Bourglay of Lyons, France. That’s a name that had appeared in a newspaper. But some aren’t so sure. And the backstory also remains a mystery. Everyone assumed he had his heart broken by someone, but exactly who and why went to his grave. He could have also been a French-Canadian who came south running from something or looking for something.
RAY: Today the Leatherman is buried in Sparta Cemetery in Ossining, New York. His grave was moved in 2011 to a different place within the cemetery. Now his marker simply says: The Leatherman.
JEFF: This is a story we briefly covered I Episode 5 of the New England Legends television series. You can watch it right now on Amazon Prime. There are so many caves and shelters tied to the Leatherman in Connecticut and New York. The one here in Watertown is just one of them. Also, if you visit my friends at the Derby Public Library in Connecticut, their history room has a large painting of the Leatherman on the wall.
RAY: And there are also photos of him that survive today. Though a lot of his life will remain a mystery, we do know he was a broken-hearted vagabond who won the hearts of many people along his endless route.
[OUTTRO]
JEFF: That he was. And that takes us to After the Legend where we explore this week’s story a little deeper and sometimes veer off course.
RAY: After the Legend is brought to you by our Patreon patrons! If you enjoy our show, thank a patron. Or better yet, become a patron! They help us with our hosting, travel, marketing, and all the other costs it takes to bring you two stories each week. For just $3 bucks per month our patrons get early ad-free access to new episodes, plus bonus episodes and content that no one else gets to hear. If you can help the cause, please head over to patreon.com/newenglandlegends to sign up.
To see some pictures of the old Leatherman, and that painting that hangs in the Derby Public Library, click on the link in the episode description or go to our Web site and click on Episode 357.
We’ve asked this before. Could you make it as a wandering vagabond today?
Please get more involved with us. We love it when you become part of the story with us by sharing your story leads, telling others about our show, or posting a review. It all helps. We’re a community of legend seekers. We’re glad you’re with us. Also, our first New England Legends live show is coming up September 21 at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts. Tickets are only $20 bucks and available online through our Web site, or in the link within the episode description.
We’d like to thank our sponsors, thank you to our patreon patrons, and our theme music is by John Judd.
Until next time remember… the bizarre is closer than you think.
